Life still in bloom

Aberdeen woman stays active even as she closes in on eighth decade

Aberdeen woman stays active even as she closes in on eighth decade

March 24, 2008|By Jackie Burke Grumish, jburke@aberdeennews.com

Aberdonian Connie Piatz is living her life the way she wants to - with a garden full of flowers and not in a nursing home. “As long as I can live by myself I'm entitled to,” she said. Last year when her husband, John, died after a long illness, one of her daughters encouraged her to start looking at retirement communities - but she never did, she said. “The only bad thing about living alone is that there's no one to share the work,” she said as she laughed. Recently, Piatz, 79, could be found pulling weeds from her garden - something she doesn't enjoy. “It's more fun when they (flowers) bloom,” she said. “But they're not going to bloom if you don't give them a little help.” Her garden on North Main Street consists of many types of flowers, including more than 100 tulips that were individually chosen by members of Piatz's family, she said. Last week's temperatures are one reason Piatz enjoys outdoor activities. Even exercising used to be an outdoor activity. “I used to walk,” she said. “When you walk you can enjoy the world.” Looking at flowers and watching sunsets are some of the reasons she enjoyed walking, she said. Now, when she's not outside, she can be found at St. Mary's Catholic Church, the YMCA (where she's been a member for 18 years), playing games with her friends or reading. “It's good to keep busy,” she said. Keeping busy was her career, she said. It's the only way to describe what it was like to raise six children. Now, all but one of her kids have moved to bigger cities, but that's all right with her because they visit her regularly, she said. “I think I did a pretty good job with them,” she said. “They're not in jail and don't do drugs.” Now she works hard to take care of herself, she said. That means working out at the YMCA four times a week. “Exercising isn't always fun, but I know it's good for me,” she said. Life is full of events and projects that people need to do to make life worth living, she said. That includes weeding gardens, cleaning toilets, sweeping floors and raking yards. “I try to do one ugly thing I don't like per day,” she said. “Everything all at once would be too hard.”